U.S. patent number 11,234,520 [Application Number 17/443,615] was granted by the patent office on 2022-02-01 for furniture with lashing mechanism.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Dooli Products, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is Dooli Products, LLC. Invention is credited to Steven G. Marton, David M. Stravitz.
United States Patent |
11,234,520 |
Stravitz , et al. |
February 1, 2022 |
Furniture with lashing mechanism
Abstract
Dresser includes a frame having a wall section forming a rear
wall, and an upper panel that covers an accessible space. A bracket
is designed for attachment to a vertical support, a first connector
is attached to the bracket, a second connector is attached to the
frame in a position to be in the space and removably engages with
the first connector when present in the space under the upper
panel. The first and/or second connector is/are length adjustable
relative to its supporting structure, i.e., relative to the bracket
in the case of the first connector or relative to the frame in the
case of the second connector to enable a distance between the frame
and the vertical support to be reduced. A reduction in distance
between the frame and the vertical support and engagement between
the first and second connectors prevents tipping of the piece of
furniture.
Inventors: |
Stravitz; David M. (New York,
NY), Marton; Steven G. (New York, NY) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Dooli Products, LLC |
New York |
NY |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Dooli Products, LLC (New York,
NY)
|
Family
ID: |
1000006085323 |
Appl.
No.: |
17/443,615 |
Filed: |
July 27, 2021 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20210353063 A1 |
Nov 18, 2021 |
|
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
17194401 |
Mar 8, 2021 |
11103067 |
|
|
|
17094979 |
Mar 9, 2021 |
10939761 |
|
|
|
16992397 |
Feb 2, 2021 |
10905241 |
|
|
|
16986932 |
Oct 27, 2020 |
10813456 |
|
|
|
16799909 |
Sep 1, 2020 |
10758046 |
|
|
|
16799941 |
Sep 29, 2020 |
10786080 |
|
|
|
62949664 |
Dec 18, 2019 |
|
|
|
|
62944425 |
Dec 6, 2019 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
97/00 (20130101); A47B 91/12 (20130101); A47B
2097/008 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
95/00 (20060101); A47B 97/00 (20060101); A47B
91/12 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;248/309.1
;312/330.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2620303 |
|
Mar 1989 |
|
FR |
|
2979210 |
|
Mar 2013 |
|
FR |
|
3014942 |
|
Aug 1995 |
|
JP |
|
200484018 |
|
Jul 2017 |
|
KR |
|
10194900 |
|
Feb 2018 |
|
KR |
|
2315537 |
|
Jan 2008 |
|
RU |
|
0024293 |
|
May 2000 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
No, Dressers Don't Need to be Anchored to a Wall, by John Brownlee,
Jul. 13,206, downloaded Jan. 26, 2020. cited by applicant .
DE20116637 Zerver; Abstract and figure (2001). cited by applicant
.
CN209474157 Chang et al.; Abstract and figure (2019). cited by
applicant .
English translation FR 2620303, 1989. cited by applicant .
International Search Report for PCT/US2020/063547 dated Mar. 25,
2021. cited by applicant .
Written Opinion for PCT/US2020/063547 dated Mar. 25, 2021. cited by
applicant .
Gerridan Chest of Drawers from ashleyfurniture.com, retrieved date
Jun. 10, 2021, p. 1 from
www.ashleyfurniture.com/p/gerridan_chest_of_drawers/B1190-44.html
(Year 2021). cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Epps; Todd M
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Roffe; Brian
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 17/194,401 filed Mar. 8, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part
of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/094,979 filed Nov. 11, 2020,
now U.S. Pat. No. 10,939,761, which is a continuation-in-part of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/992,397 filed Aug. 13, 2020,
now U.S. Pat. No. 10,905,241, which is a continuation of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 16/986,932 filed Aug. 6, 2020, now U.S.
Pat. No. 10,813,456, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 16/799,909 filed Feb. 25, 2020, now U.S. Pat.
No. 10,758,046, and also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 16/799,941 filed Feb. 25, 2020, now U.S. Pat.
No. 10,786,080, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/799,909
claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119 of U.S. provisional
patent application Ser. No. 62/944,425 filed Dec. 6, 2019, and U.S.
provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/949,664 filed Dec. 18,
2019, all of which are incorporated by reference herein.
This application is also related to, on the grounds that it
includes common disclosure as, U.S. patent application Ser. No.
16/935,335 filed Jul. 22, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,856,659, which
is also incorporated by reference herein.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A furniture assembly, comprising: a frame comprising a rear wall
of a piece of furniture, an upper panel that defines an opening and
an access door that controls access through said opening in said
upper panel to a space under said upper panel in front of said rear
wall; a bracket configured for attachment to a vertical support; a
first connector attached to said bracket, said rear wall including
an aperture dimensioned to enable passage of at least part of said
first connector therethrough from an area rearward of said rear
wall into said space under said upper panel; and a second connector
attached to said frame in a position to be in said space under said
upper panel and that removably engages with said first connector
when both are present in said space under said upper panel, said
first or second connector being length-adjustable relative to said
bracket or said frame respectively to enable a distance between
said frame and said bracket to be reduced, whereby a reduction in
distance between said frame and said bracket, when said bracket is
attached to the vertical support, and engagement between said first
and second connectors prevents tipping of the piece of
furniture.
2. The furniture assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connector
comprises an elongate strap connected at one end region to said
bracket and a buckle through which said first strap passes, said
buckle being movable along said strap to vary a distance between
said buckle and said bracket and thereby provide length
adjustability to said first connector, whereby by pulling a free
end of said strap relative to said buckle, a distance of said strap
between said buckle and said bracket is reduced.
3. The furniture assembly of claim 2, wherein said second connector
comprises an elongate strap connected at a first end region to said
frame and a catch connected to a second end region of said strap of
said second connector opposite said first end region of said strap
of said second connector, said catch releasably engaging with said
buckle.
4. The furniture assembly of claim 3, further comprising an
additional bracket fixed to said frame, said first end region of
said strap of said second connector being connected to said
additional bracket.
5. The furniture assembly of claim 1, wherein said second connector
comprises an elongate strap connected at a first end region to said
frame and a catch connected to a second end region of said strap
opposite said first end region of said strap.
6. The furniture assembly of claim 5, further comprising an
additional bracket fixed to said frame, said first end region of
said strap being connected to said additional bracket.
7. The furniture assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connector
comprises a first elongate strap connected at one end region to
said bracket and a buckle through which said first strap passes,
said buckle being movable along said first strap to vary a distance
between said buckle and said bracket and thereby provide length
adjustability to said first connector, whereby by pulling a free
end of said first strap relative to said buckle, a distance of said
first strap between said buckle and said bracket is reduced; and
said second connector comprises a second elongate strap connected
at a first end region to said frame and a catch connected to a
second end region of said second strap opposite said first end
region of said second strap, said catch being insertable into and
removable from engagement with said buckle.
8. The furniture assembly of claim 1, wherein said access door is
pivotally connected to said upper panel and pivots between a
position in said opening and a position out of said opening.
9. The furniture assembly of claim 1, further comprising an upper
drawer immediately under said upper panel and movable into and at
least partly out of said frame, said upper drawer having a depth
such that when fully present in said frame, said space is behind
said upper drawer and not obstructed by said upper drawer.
10. The furniture assembly of claim 9, further comprising at least
one additional drawer below said upper drawer that has a larger
depth than said upper drawer, said at least one additional drawer
having a first position fully present in said frame and a second
position at least partly out of said frame and being movable
outward from a front of said frame into the second position while
coupled to said frame, said at least one drawer having a front face
forming a front face of the piece of furniture.
11. The furniture assembly of claim 1, wherein said frame further
comprises a wall section having front and rear surfaces defining a
thickness therebetween and which forms at least part of said rear
wall of the piece of furniture, said rear wall being a vertical
rear wall of the piece of furniture.
12. The furniture assembly of claim 1, wherein said frame further
comprises a panel under said upper panel, said second connector
being connected to said panel.
13. The furniture assembly of claim 1, wherein said rear wall is
substantially planar.
14. A furniture assembly, comprising: a frame comprising: a rear
vertical wall of a piece of furniture; an upper panel that defines
an opening and an access door that controls access through said
opening in said upper panel to a space under said upper panel in
front of said rear wall; and an additional panel under said upper
panel; a bracket configured for attachment to a vertical support; a
first connector attached to said bracket, said rear wall including
an aperture dimensioned to enable passage of at least part of said
first connector therethrough from an area rearward of said rear
wall into said space under said upper panel; and a second connector
attached to said additional panel in a position to be in said space
under said upper panel and that removably engages with said first
connector when both are present in said space under said upper
panel, at least one of said first and second connectors being
length-adjustable relative to said bracket or said frame
respectively to enable a distance between said frame and said
bracket to be reduced, whereby a reduction in distance between said
frame and said bracket, when said bracket is attached to the
vertical support, and engagement between said first and second
connectors prevents tipping of the piece of furniture.
15. The furniture assembly of claim 14, wherein said first
connector comprises an elongate strap connected at one end region
to said bracket and a buckle through which said first strap passes,
said buckle being movable along said strap to vary a distance
between said buckle and said bracket and thereby provide length
adjustability to said first connector, whereby by pulling a free
end of said strap relative to said buckle, a distance of said strap
between said buckle and said bracket is reduced.
16. The furniture assembly of claim 15, wherein said second
connector comprises an elongate strap connected at a first end
region to said frame and a catch connected to a second end region
of said strap of said second connector opposite said first end
region of said strap of said second connector, said catch
releasably engaging with said buckle.
17. The furniture assembly of claim 14, wherein said second
connector comprises an elongate strap connected at a first end
region to said frame and a catch connected to a second end region
of said strap opposite said first end region of said strap.
18. The furniture assembly of claim 14, wherein said first
connector comprises a first elongate strap connected at one end
region to said bracket and a buckle through which said first strap
passes, said buckle being movable along said first strap to vary a
distance between said buckle and said bracket and thereby provide
length adjustability to said first connector, whereby by pulling a
free end of said first strap relative to said buckle, a distance of
said first strap between said buckle and said bracket is reduced;
and said second connector comprises a second elongate strap
connected at a first end region to said frame and a catch connected
to a second end region of said second strap opposite said first end
region of said second strap, said catch being insertable into and
removable from engagement with said buckle.
19. The furniture assembly of claim 14, further comprising an upper
drawer immediately under said upper panel and movable into and at
least partly out of said frame, said upper drawer having a depth
such that when fully present in said frame, said space is behind
said upper drawer and not obstructed by said upper drawer.
20. The furniture assembly of claim 19, further comprising at least
one additional drawer below said upper drawer that has a larger
depth than said upper drawer, said at least one additional drawer
having a first position fully present in said frame and a second
position at least partly out of said frame and being movable
outward from a front of said frame into the second position while
coupled to said frame, said at least one drawer having a front face
forming a front face of the piece of furniture.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to anti-tipping mechanisms
for furniture that prevent the furniture from tipping over when,
for example, a child is climbing on a drawer of the furniture or
reaching the top to have it tip forward. The anti-tipping
mechanisms may be completely separate from the furniture or involve
specific construction of the furniture. The present invention also
relates to a piece of furniture including or incorporating an
anti-tipping mechanism, and a method for placing or installing a
piece of furniture to provide anti-tipping properties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Furniture tipping accidents and deaths are on the rise. The
majority many of toddler furniture pieces, typically dressers, are
anywhere from about 16 inches to about 24 inches deep and often
toddlers can grab the top of the dresser, grab the top drawer of
the dresser and even climb into the bottom drawer of the dresser
before the parent is aware of this. Top drawers of these dressers
often have heavy contents in them further making the dresser more
easy to tip over, which when it occurs, often results in the
toddler getting severely hurt, sometimes even rushed to the
hospital and even more worrisome, a tragic death.
Many products on the market currently offer the ability to attach
the upper back of a piece of furniture, e.g., a dresser, to the
wall or other vertical support behind the dresser with a webbing
strap or cable so the tipping issue is caught and restricted before
the entire dresser falls forward. Yet, this can also allow the
topmost dresser drawer to fall forward and still cause accidents.
Proper fastening of the dresser to the wall poses yet another issue
insofar as it is possible that the screws on the wall or the screws
on the dresser are ripped apart when the tipping force is too much,
especially if the webbing strap or cable is not attached properly
in a safe or secure manner and location. After all, most dresser
backs are very cheaply made with the backs often 1/8'' thin
pressboard or plywood and the frame is typically 5/8''-3/4'' and
made of plywood or even less secure presswood typically used
today.
Also, it is possible that the wall mounting was installed without
the use of appropriate hardware such as mollies or lead plugs. If
that were so, it would take little force for the tipping force
exerted by the child or toddler to "rip" a wall-mounting bracket
right off the wall thus allowing the dresser to continue its fall.
Furthermore, if the frame is presswood, it would not take much
force to "rip off" the mounting screws securing the webbing or
cable to the frame or back.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of at least one embodiment of the present invention
to provide new and improved mechanisms for integrating or
incorporating into pieces of furniture to prevent the furniture
from tipping over.
It is another object of at least one embodiment of the present
invention to provide a mechanism to significantly resist a baby or
toddler from forcefully engaging an upper region of a dresser while
approaching the dresser with an adequate stance to effect the
possibility of causing danger to the baby or toddler.
It is yet another object of at least one embodiment of the present
invention to provide a dresser that resists tipping when a top
drawer of the dresser is open.
It is still another object of at least one embodiment of the
present invention to provide a dresser that resists tipping when
the toddler physically engages an open bottom drawer of the dresser
or reaching the upper region of the dresser and pulling (tipping)
it forward.
Another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention
is to provide a dresser that resists tipping even when the toddler
climbs on or into a bottom drawer region of the dresser.
A dresser having an anti-tipping mechanism in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention includes a frame including the
substantially planar wall section having front and rear surfaces
defining a thickness therebetween and which forms at least part of
a rear wall of the piece of furniture. The frame also includes an
upper panel that defines an opening and an access door that
controls access through the opening to a space under the upper
panel. The dresser also includes a bracket attachable to a vertical
support, a first connector attached to the bracket, with an
aperture in the wall section being dimensioned to enable passage of
the first connector therethrough into the space under the upper
panel. A second connector is attached to the frame in a position to
be in the space below the upper panel and that removably engages
with the first connector when both are present in the space under
the upper panel. The first and/or second connector is
length-adjustable relative to its supporting structure, i.e.,
relative to the bracket in the case of the first connector or
relative to the frame in the case of the second connector to enable
a distance between the frame and the bracket to be adjusted,
particularly at least reduced. A reduction in distance between the
frame and the bracket, when the bracket is attached to the vertical
support, and engagement between the first and second connectors
prevents tipping of the piece of furniture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention, together with further objects and advantages
thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein like reference numerals identify like elements, and
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dresser including a first
embodiment of an anti-tipping mechanism in accordance with the
invention shown detached from the dresser;
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the dresser shown in FIG. 1
with the anti-tipping mechanism shown detached from the
dresser;
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the dresser shown in FIG. 1 with the
anti-tipping mechanism attached to the dresser;
FIG. 4 is a side view of a dresser including a second embodiment of
an anti-tipping mechanism in accordance with the invention shown
attached to the dresser;
FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the dresser shown in FIG. 4
with the anti-tipping mechanism shown attached to the dresser;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a part of the second embodiment of
the anti-tipping mechanism;
FIG. 7 is a side view of a dresser including a third embodiment of
an anti-tipping mechanism in accordance with the invention shown
attached to the dresser;
FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the dresser shown in FIG. 7
with the anti-tipping mechanism shown attached to the dresser;
FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a part of the third embodiment
of the anti-tipping mechanism;
FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of a part of the third
embodiment of the anti-tipping mechanism;
FIG. 11 is a side view of the dresser shown in FIG. 7 with a
toddler in front potentially about to try to tip over the
dresser;
FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the dresser shown in FIG. 7 with
a variant of the anti-tipping mechanism;
FIG. 11B is a front, bottom perspective view of a dresser with
another embodiment of an anti-tipping mechanism in accordance with
the invention;
FIG. 11C is a rear, bottom perspective view of the dresser shown in
FIG. 11B;
FIG. 11D is a rear, bottom perspective view of the dresser shown in
FIG. 11B with the anti-tipping mechanism separated from the
dresser;
FIG. 11E is a view showing various attachments of the anti-tipping
mechanism to the dresser of FIG. 11B;
FIG. 11F is a view showing another attachment of the anti-tipping
mechanism to the dresser of FIG. 11B than shown in FIG. 11E;
FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of a dresser including another
embodiment of an anti-tipping mechanism in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of the dresser shown in FIG.
12 with the bottom drawer in an open state;
FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of a dresser including another
embodiment of an anti-tipping mechanism in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the dresser shown in FIG. 14
with the bottom drawer in an open state;
FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a
dresser providing anti-tipping properties in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 17 is a side perspective view of the embodiment of the dresser
providing anti-tipping properties in accordance with the invention
shown in FIG. 16;
FIG. 18 is a side view of another embodiment of a dresser in
accordance with the invention with the side of the frame
removed;
FIG. 19 is a view showing the dresser of FIG. 18 with the drawer in
an open state;
FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of the drawer of the dresser shown in
FIG. 18 in a closed state;
FIG. 21 is an enlarged view showing the drawer of the dresser shown
in FIG. 18 in a state during opening or closing movement;
FIG. 22 is a view showing the drawer of the dresser shown in FIG.
18 in a maximally safe open state;
FIG. 23 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of another
embodiment of a dresser in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 24 is a view of the anti-tipping mechanism of the dresser
shown in FIG. 23 in an intermediate state before final securing of
the dresser to a wall; and
FIG. 25 is a view of the anti-tipping mechanism of the dresser
shown in FIG. 23 in a final state in which the dresser is secured
to the wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
One of the inventors' ideas to address the tipping problem of
furniture in the presence of toddlers and children is that it is
advantageous, instead of addressing attachment of a dresser or
other piece of furniture to the wall against which it is placed, to
address stability and retention of support legs of the furniture by
attaching extensions or boots at least partly under and to the
support legs to provide superior anti-tipping characteristics (for
toddlers, parents, even TV stands). The extensions (having a form
similar in appearance to a boot) provide a 16-18 inch deep dresser
the ability to function as if it were 24-28 inches (depending on
the length of the extensions). Various boots or extensions are
disclosed below.
In the embodiments disclosed herein, a dresser including a
plurality of drawers is often used as an example of a piece of
furniture for which the anti-tipping mechanism may be used, and in
which an anti-tipping mechanism may be integrated or incorporated.
The anti-tipping mechanisms of the invention can be used on other
types of furniture in addition to dressers and are not limited to
use with only dressers. Also, the dressers may include one or more
drawers in any of the sections therein.
FIGS. 1-3 show a dresser 8A including a first embodiment of an
anti-tipping mechanism in accordance with the invention designated
generally as 10. Anti-tipping mechanism 10 includes a fixed angled
L-shaped extension or boot 12 that has a first planar portion 14
and a second planar portion 16 at a fixed angle relative to the
first planar portion 14. The planar portions 14, 16 may be rigid
and permanently attached to one another so that the angle between
them is not variable. The planar portions 14, 16 may be solid or
hollow or have any construction that enables them to support the
dresser 8A without being damaged. Also, the planar portions 14, 16
may be made of a sturdy, supportive material such as a type of
metal such as stainless steel or electroplated carbon, etc. with 14
or 16 gauge as examples, or unbreakable plastic such as
polycarbonate (for clear parts) or rigid nylon or Delrin (Acetal)
for solid colors. Ideally, the plastic parts would have typical
wall thicknesses ranging from about 1/8 inches to about 3/16
inches.
The first planar portion 14 is elongate and dimensioned relative to
the dresser 8A (FIG. 1) it is to be used with so that when the
second planar portion 16 attached to a rear surface 18A of a rear
leg 18 of the dresser 8A, the first planar portion 14 extends a
distance beyond the front leg 20 (this distance being represented
as 22, see FIGS. 2 and 3). As such, it is envisioned to make a
plurality of different L-shaped boots 12 to fit different sizes of
dressers 8A. The legs 18, 20 are not required for a piece of
furniture and may be provided by portions of a frame of the piece
of furniture, i.e., leg portions of the frame, in which case, there
may be a solid wall on the right and left sides of the frame with
the L-shaped boot 12 being attached to the rear surface of the
frame.
The angle between the first and second planar portions 14, 16 is
dependent on the angle between the rear surface 18A of the rear leg
18 and the often horizontal surface on which the dresser 8A is to
be placed. As shown, the fixed angle is about 90.degree., i.e., the
second planar portion 16 is perpendicular to the first planar
portion 14 which is to rest on the horizontal surface. The reason
for this in the illustrated embodiment is because the bottom
surface of the rear leg 18 is designed to lie flat against the
horizontal surface when the dresser 8A is placed on the horizontal
surface (of the L-shaped boot 12 were not present) and the rear
surface 18A of the rear leg 18 is perpendicular to the bottom
surface of the rear leg 18.
The angle however is determined by the shape of the rear leg 18 and
specifically, the angle between the bottom surface of the rear leg
18 and the rear surface 18A of the rear leg 18 since it is desired
that the surface of the second planar portion 16 be alongside and
in contact with the rear surface 18A of the rear peg 18 after
installation and during use. Another embodiment described below
(FIGS. 4-6) provides for variability of the anti-tipping mechanism
to addressed different angles.
The second planar portion 16 is attached to the rear surface 18A of
the rear leg 18 to be in contact therewith by any suitable
attachment means which provide a secure attachment of the L-shaped
boot 12 to the rear leg 18. The anti-tipping mechanism 10 therefore
comprises the boot 12 and the attachment means to attach the boot
12 to a piece of furniture.
As shown in FIG. 2, the attachment means comprise screws 24 which
fit through apertures 26 in the second planar portion 16. One
skilled in the art would appreciate that different attachment means
may be used providing either a temporary or permanent attachment,
e.g., nails or bolts. The attachment means should be selected to
avoid separation of the rear leg 18 from the second planar portion
16 when a tipping force is exerted as this would frustrate the
purpose of the L-shaped boots 12. Attachment means therefore may be
construed as structure that provides for a secure attachment of one
component to another component when a force is exerted on the other
component. If bolts are used, a threaded insert may be pre-drilled
and inserted in the rear of the rear leg 18. A screw, on the other
hand, may be screwed into a starting hole formed in the rear leg
18.
In an exemplifying, non-limiting use, the L-shaped boot 12 may be
attached to each rear leg 18 of the dresser 8A (see FIG. 3). The
specific size L-shaped boot 12 is selected so that the first planar
portion 14 thereof extends forward of the front leg 20. The longer
the extension 22 of the first planar portion 14 forward of the
front leg 20, the greater the resistance of the dresser 8A to
tipping. In an attempt to tip the dresser 8A, there would be a
downward force exerted against the extended portion 22 of the first
planar portion 14 forward of the front leg 20 and this would hinder
tipping of the dresser 8A.
One skilled in the art would be able to determine the distance of
the extended portion 22 of the first planar portion 14 forward of
the front leg 20 relative to characteristics of the dresser 8A,
e.g., the height of the dresser 8A, the depth of the dresser 8A,
the weight of the dresser 8A, and the number of drawers in the
dresser 8A. As an example, if the dresser 8A has seven drawers, and
is five feet high and nineteen inches deep (such dimensions being
typical of a tippable dresser), then the L-shaped boots 12 should
extend a number of inches forward of the dresser 8A to provide tip
resistance. The more forward the L-shaped boots 12 extend, the more
resistance to tip is provided to the dresser 8A.
The extended portion 22 has edges that may be contoured, e.g.,
curved and tapered to present a smooth surface as someone might
walk over the extended portion 22. The front edge of the extended
portion 22, i.e., the front edge of the first planar portion 14 of
the L-shaped boot 12 may be in the shape of a semi-circular. It is
envisioned that in some uses, the extended portion 22 is positioned
underneath carpet or other floor covering to hide the extended
portion 22. Placing them under a firm carpet may further assist in
resisting tipping.
Boots 12, and other boots or extensions disclosed herein can be
produced in plastic, as well as metal. In plastic, there can be the
nice tapered edges on the front of the parts, however, if produced
from metal, it may be desirable to use a typical stock of 16 gauge
(0.060'') or 14 gauge (0.0781'') stainless steel or electroplated
carbon steel. The boots 12 may be constructed with or without any
edges being tapered, and with a rounded or square front, etc.
The invention also encompasses the combination of a piece of
furniture, i.e., dresser 8A, and an anti-tipping mechanism, i.e.,
one or more of the L-shaped boots 12. Such a combination includes a
frame having a front, and a rear. At least one drawer is slidable
through the front of the frame into and partly out of the frame
(not numbered in FIG. 1). The second planar portion 16 is attached
to a rear surface of the frame, not specifically to the rear leg 18
since the rear leg 18 may not be present for all pieces of
furniture with which the invention may be used, and when so
attached, the second planar portion 16 is alongside and in contact
with the rear surface of the frame (see FIG. 3). The first planar
portion 14 is situated below the front and rear of the frame and
has a size to extend forward of the front of the frame when the
second planar portion 16 is attached to the rear surface of the
frame to aid in preventing tipping of the dresser 8A (see FIGS.
1-3).
In the non-limiting illustrated embodiment, the frame includes a
front leg 20 at the front of the frame and a rear leg 18 at a rear
of the frame spaced apart from one another to provide a space
between a front surface of the rear leg 18 and a rear surface of
the front leg 20. In this case, the first planar portion 16 is
below the front leg 20 and the rear leg 20, and possibly in contact
with the lower/bottom surfaces of the rear and front legs 18, 20.
When the dresser 8A has four legs as shown, two L-shaped boots 12
are used, one for each set of front/rear legs.
However, a single L-shaped boot may be used, as described below in
connection with FIG. 11A wherein the first planar portion of the
singular L-shaped boot is below, and possibly in contact with, the
lower/bottom surfaces of both front legs 20 and the lower/bottom
surfaces of both rear legs 18.
When the dresser or other piece of furniture does not have any legs
that extend below the lower surface of the frame of the piece of
furniture, then the front and rear lower support surfaces are
formed by the lower surface of the frame that is configured to rest
on and in contact with a horizontal surface supporting the piece of
furniture. Alternatively, there may be side supports that extend
from the front to rear of the frame along its sides and these side
supports provide the front and rear lower support surfaces of the
frame. The L-shaped boots 12 are therefore below the front and rear
of the frame, and possibly in contact with the lower/bottom
surfaces of the frame that would otherwise be in contact with the
floor or other horizontal surface on which the piece of furniture
is placed. The front of the frame is the front facing region where
the front panels of the drawers are, while the rear of the fame is
the rear facing region designed to abut against a wall or other
vertical support.
FIGS. 4-6 show another anti-tipping mechanism in accordance with
the invention which is designated 30 and includes an extension or
boot 32 having first and second planar portions 34, 36 that are not
rigidly fixed to one another (as in boot 12 in FIGS. 1-3), but
rather are pivotally connected to one another by a hinge mechanism
38. Hinge mechanism 38 allows the second planar portion 36 to move
to different angles and different angular positions relative to the
first planar portion 34.
A primary advantage of the use of hinge mechanism 38 rotatably
connecting the first and second planar portions 34, 36 is to
account for different angles between the bottom surface of the rear
leg 40 and the rear surface of the rear leg 40 of the dresser 8B.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, this angle was about 90 degrees,
but sometimes in actuality, the angle is different than 90 degrees,
usually greater than 90 degrees. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4
and 5, the angle is about 110 degrees. Therefore, use of the fixed
angle L-shaped boot 12 is not possible for the dresser 8B shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5. Rather, variable angle, hinged boot 32 must be used.
Hinged boot 32 has the advantage over the boot 12 insofar as it
will accommodate most angles of the rear legs 40. It is estimated
that fixed 90 degree boots, i.e., boot 12, will fit about 75% to
about 90% of all existing dressers.
The first planar portion 34 is elongate and dimensioned relative to
the dresser 8B, or other piece of furniture it is to be used with,
so that when attached to the rear surface of the rear leg 40, the
first planar portion 34 extends a distance beyond the front leg 42,
this distance being represented as 44, see FIGS. 4 and 5. As such,
it is envisioned to make a plurality of different boots 32 to fit
different sizes of dressers 8B.
The planar portions 34, 36 may be solid or hollow or have any
construction that enables them to support the dresser 8B without
being damaged. Also, the planar portions 34, 36 may be made of a
sturdy, supportive substantially unbreakable material.
In use, the angle to which the second planar portion 36 is pivoted
relative to the first planar portion 34 is dependent on the angle
between the rear surface of the rear leg 40 and the horizontal
surface on which the dresser 8B is to be placed. The angle is thus
determined by the shape of the rear leg 40 and specifically, the
angle between the bottom surface of the rear leg 40 and the rear
surface of the rear leg 40.
Hinge mechanism 38 may be any conventional hinge or pivot-providing
structure that enables movement of one member relative to another
to different angular positions. In a basic construction, hinge
mechanism 38 includes a first part attached to the first planar
portion 34 and a second part attached to the second planar portion
36 and one or more pivot pins between these parts, and possibly
attached to only one of the parts.
The second planar portion 36 could, in a storage or shipping state,
be pivoted against the first planar portion 34, i.e., the
forward-facing surface of the second planar portion 36 is against
the upper surface of the first planar portion 34, and then for
installation, raised from this position to the necessary angle. The
installer would position the second planar portion 36 against the
rear surface of the rear leg 40 and then attach the screws 24
through apertures (which apertures 26 can be seen in FIG. 6), or
using other attachment means. The anti-tipping mechanism 30
therefore comprises the boot 32 and the attachment means to attach
the boot 32 to a piece of furniture.
In an exemplifying, non-limiting use, a boot 32 may be attached to
each rear leg 40 of the dresser 8B (see FIG. 5). The specific size
boot 32 is selected so that the first planar portion 34 thereof
extends forward of the front leg 42. The longer the extension 44 of
the first planar portion 34 forward of the front leg 42, the
greater the resistance of the dresser 8B to tipping. In an attempt
to tip the dresser 8B, there would be a downward force exerted
against the extended portion 44 of the first planar portion 34
forward of the front leg 42 and this would hinder tipping of the
dresser 8B.
One skilled in the art would be able to determine the distance of
the extended portion 44 of the first planar portion 34 forward of
the front leg 42 relative to characteristics of the furniture,
e.g., the height of the dresser 8B, the depth of the dresser 8B,
the weight of the dresser 8B, and the number of drawers in the
dresser 8B. As an example, if the dresser 8B has seven drawers, and
is five feet high and nineteen inches deep (such dimensions being
typical of a tippable dresser), then the boots 32 should extend a
number of inches forward of the dresser 8B to provide tip
resistance.
Each planar section 34, 36 may have a wall thickness between about
0.100 inches and about 0.187 inches for flex resistance and
rigidity. The boot 32 may be produced from sturdy unbreakable
polycarbonate, e.g., for clear parts, Nylon, glass filled ABS and
Acetal for opaque engineering thermo-plastics.
The extended portion 44 has edges that may be contoured, e.g.,
curved and tapered to present a smooth surface as someone might
walk over the extended portion 44. The front edge of the extended
portion 44, i.e., the front edge of the first planar portion 34 of
the L-shaped boot 32 may be in the shape of a semi-circular and
tapered down to an edge to resist possibly accidental tripping. It
is envisioned that in some uses, the extended portion 44 is
positioned underneath carpet or other floor covering to hide the
extended portion 44. Ideally, this soothes things out and
eliminates the chance of tripping.
FIGS. 7-11 show another embodiment of an anti-tipping mechanism
designated 50 and which includes a different extension or boot 52
than either boot 12 or boot 32, but also includes attachment means.
Differing from boot 32, boot 52 includes a first planar portion 54
that has a variable height, with the largest height at the end of
extended portion or extension 56 and the smallest height at or
proximate the edge adjacent the hinge mechanism 38 (see FIG. 9).
The height may vary uniformly from the end of extension 56 to the
hinge mechanism 38. Such a variable height planar portion 54 could
nevertheless be provided on boot 12 if so desired.
In the illustrated embodiment, the boot 52 has elongate, straight
side ribs 58 and a front rib 60 connecting the front ends of the
side ribs 58 to provide a horizontal support surface at a lower
edge of the first planar portion 54 (see FIG. 10). The first planar
portion 54 thus overlies a hollow cavity defined by the lower
surface of the first planar portion 54 at the top, the inner
surface of the side ribs 58 on the lateral sides, and the inner
surface of the front rib 60 at the front, and possibly by the hinge
mechanism 38 at the rear. Alternatively, the first planar portion
54 may be a solid.
This variable height results in the dresser 8B, when placed with
its rear leg 40 and front leg 42 on the boot 52 as shown in FIGS.
7, 8 and 11, being slightly tilted rearward so that it is able to
come into contact with a vertical wall 6 against which it is placed
only at an upper portion (see in particular FIG. 7). Dresser 8B
will not come into contact with the vertical wall 6 at the lower
portion but rather will be spaced apart from the vertical wall 6 at
the lower portion (see FIG. 7). The distance between the wall 6 and
the rear of the dresser 8B increases in the direction from the top
of the dresser 8B to the bottom of the dresser 8B. This rearward
slanting of the dresser 8B resulting from the variable height boot
52 improves the tip resistance when a toddler or child 4 may try to
pull the front of the dresser 8B (see FIG. 11).
The extension 56 has edges that may be contoured, e.g., curved to
present a smooth surface as someone might walk over the extension
56. It is envisioned that in some uses, the extension 56 is
positioned underneath carpet or other floor covering to hide the
extension 56.
In the embodiments described above, the boots 12, 32, 52 are
attached to the rear surface of the rear leg of the furniture.
These uses are exemplifying only and do not limit the use of the
boots 12, 32, 52. In some embodiments, it is envisioned that the
boots 12, 32, 52 may be attached to another part of the furniture,
e.g., the rear panel or rear wall of the furniture. In such cases,
the legs 12, 32, 52 may extend forward of the front wall or front
panel of the furniture at a location between the front legs,
essentially sticking out in a middle region of and below the front
wall or front panel. A single boot 12, 32, 52 may be used in these
situations and would not be connected to the rear legs. The same
attachment mechanism, e.g., screws, may be used to attach the boot
12, 32, 52 to the rear panel or rear wall of the furniture.
As shown in FIG. 11A, another embodiment wherein a single boot 52A
is used is illustrated. This single boot 52A may have the form of
boot 12, boot 32 or boot 52 and is preferably configured to have a
width extending from the outer left side surfaces of the left set
of legs 40, 42 to the outer right side surfaces of the right set of
legs 40, 42. The boot 52A therefore extends from the right to left
sides of the frame. As such, the single boot 52A will extend below
all of the legs 40, 42, or under the left and rights sides of the
furniture if there are no legs and only leg portions formed by the
frame. The boot 52A may have a planar portion 54A which extends
below all of the legs 40, 42, and which planar portion 54A may be
angled as in boot 52.
Boot 52A also includes the planar portion(s) 36A at its rear that
are used to attach the boot 52 to the furniture, e.g., the rear
surfaces of the rear legs 40 or more generally the rear surfaces of
the frame. There may be a single planar portion 36A that extends
across the entire length of the boot 52, i.e., it would have the
same width as the underlying planar portion 54A of the boot 52, or
there may be two, spaced apart planar portions 36A that each only
extend behind a respective one of the rear legs 40. These planar
portions 36A may be rigid with the underlying planar portion 54A of
the boot 52A as in boot 12, or pivotally attached thereto by hinges
as in boot 32. In either situation, both rear legs 40 are attached
to the same boot 52A.
The width of the boots 12, 32, 52 may also vary from that shown but
be less than the full width of the furniture as in boot 52A shown
in FIG. 11A. The width of the boots 12, 32, 52 may be 2 inches, 4
inches, 6 inches or 8 inches, for example, Other widths are also
possible.
Referring now to FIGS. 11B-11F, another embodiment of a boot 52B in
accordance with the invention includes several features that may be
incorporated into any of the other boots disclosed herein,
individually or in any combination. The first feature is a side
rail 53 that extends upward from an outer side or outer edge 55 of
the first planar, horizontal portion. As shown, the side rail 53 is
positioned to be alongside both the rear leg 40 and the front leg
42, although it is possible to dimension it to be alongside only
the rear leg 40 or only along the front leg 42.
Although shown in the drawings and described in connection with use
of the boot 52B, it is possible that the boot 52B is used with a
piece of furniture that does not have legs, but rather has a
straight bottom.
If legs are provided on the dresser 8B, then the length of the side
rail 53 may therefore be from an edge region of the rear leg 40 to
a front region of the front leg 42, possibly to be flush with the
rear surface of the rear leg 40 and flush with the front surface of
the front leg 42. If used with a dresser without legs and only a
straight bottom formed for example by a lower side panel that is
flush to the floor or underlying support substrate, then the side
rail 53 may have a length to be along only a portion of or along
all of this straight panel.
Preferably, the side rail 53 is separated from the second planar
portion (as shown in FIG. 11E) since the second planar portion is
hingedly connected to the first planar portion. If the second
planar portion is fixed to the first planar portion, then the side
rail could also be fixed to the second planar portion. The presence
of the hinge allows the full range of better engagement to the back
of the dresser 8B, whereas a fixed right angle boot would be
limited to use with a dresser wherein the base and back of the
dresser are perfectly at a right angle.
The side rail 53 does not have to be in direct contact with the
rear and/or front legs 40, 42 or lower side panel once installed,
as there may be an intervening material, e.g., a cushioning
material. However, the side rail 53 should be sufficiently rigid
and fixed relative to the first planar portion to enable it to
reduce and ideally prevent possible sideward movement of the
dresser 8B. Side rail 53 may also be considered a side rib.
Advantages of the side rail 53 are to provide reinforcement for
retention of the dresser 8B on the boot 52B, and aid in
registration and placement of the dresser 8B on the boot 52B,
noting that there would be one boot 52B on each side of the dresser
8B and the side rail 53 would be on the outer edge of each boot 52B
(outer with respect to the dresser 8B). Thus, a dresser 8B with two
boots 52B would not have identical boots 52B but rather, one boot
52B would have the side rail 53 on one side and the other boot 52B
would have the side rail 53 on the other side (see FIGS. 11B, 11C
and 11E). The installer of the boots 52B would obviously position
the correct boot 52B on the appropriate side of the dresser 8B. The
raised side rail 53 also aids in preventing someone from kicking
the dresser 8B inward out of placement on the boot 52B. In addition
to providing flush registration, it is also conceivable that the
side rails 53 can adhere (e.g., using VELCRO.RTM., double face tape
or 3M Dual Lock) to the front or back of the dresser with or
without legs.
Side rail 53 may be included as part of any of the other boots
disclosed herein, whether a side rail alongside both front and rear
legs or only one legs, or alongside a portion of or the entirety of
a lower side panel. If configured to extend alongside both legs or
the entirety of a lower side panel on one side of the dresser 8B,
the side rail 53 does not have to extend continuously with the same
height, but could have a variable height in its length between the
front and rear of the dresser 8B. Moreover, instead of a single
side rail 53, a side rail portion can be provided alongside each of
the rear and front legs 40, 42, with the side rail portions being
separate from one another, but connected through the intermediacy
of the first planar portion. Also, instead of a single side rail
53, a side rail portion can be provided alongside each of rear and
front portions of the lower side panel of a dresser with such a
lower side panel, with the side rail portions being separate from
one another, but connected through the intermediacy of the first
planar portion.
Another feature of boot 52B is an enlarged second planar portion 57
that attaches to a larger area of the rear surface of the dresser
8B than just to a portion or all of the rear surface of the rear
leg 40 (e.g., as in FIG. 1). The enlarged second planar portion 57,
which may be in the form of a rigid plate, has a lower section 57A
that is preferably dimensioned to correspond to the size of the
rear surface of the rear leg 40 or rear lower panel if there is no
rear leg, and an upper section 57B that is preferably dimensioned
to fit alongside at least a portion of the rear surface 59A of the
support structure 59 at the rear of the dresser 8B. The upper
section 57B has a larger width than the lower section 57A.
Exemplary dimensions are that the upper section 57B has a height of
4 inches and a width of 4 inches with the lower section 57A having
a height of two inches and a width of 2 inches. As such, the total
height of the enlarged second planar section 57 is 6 inches and its
width increases from 2 inches at the bottom to 4 inches at the top.
The enlarged second planar portion 57 may include or consist
entirely of a square portion or a rectangular portion, with the
preferred shape extending to be able to adhere to the back surface
of the dresser with adhesive engagement. Using screws as the
attachment means is not as secure as it is when a full adhesive is
used or combined with adhesive and screws. The enlarged second
planar portion 57 may be about 6 inches by 6 inches square.
In the illustrated embodiment, the upper section 57B is alongside a
part of the upper rear frame support 59A and also alongside a part
of the lower rear frame support 59B (see FIG. 11C). The enlarged
second planar portion 57 increases stability of the attachment of
the boot 52B to the dresser 8B and aids in preventing someone from
kicking the dresser 8B outward out of placement on the boot 52B
since the boot 52B is now also against the rear surface of the
support structure 59 of the dresser 8B.
Attachment of the enlarged second planar portion 57 to the dresser
8B is by means disclosed herein, e.g., screws 24 passing through
apertures 26 in the second planar portion 57 and then preferably
into aligning apertures in the dresser 8B. Apertures 26 can be
positioned in the second planar portion 57 so that the screws 24
will enter into the rear surface of the rear leg 40 and/or into the
rear surface 59A of the support structure 59 (see FIG. 11C), or
into the rear surface of the rear panel if no legs are provided. In
one embodiment, at least one screw 24 would enter into the rear leg
40 and one into the support structure 59. In another embodiment,
two or more screws would enter into the support structure 59. If
screws 24 are used, it is also possible to form apertures in the
first planar portion and optionally apertures in the bottom
surfaces of the rear and front legs 40, 42 in alignment therewith
to enable the first planar portion to be attached to the legs 40,
42 via the screws and apertures (see FIG. 11E wherein a single
screw 24 is shown entering through the first planar portion into an
aligning aperture in the rear leg 40).
As an alternative (or addition) to screws to attach the first
planar portion and/or the second planar portion to the dresser 8B
(or one of the legs thereof or lower and rear panels), it is
possible to use double-sided tape or hook and loop fasteners, for
example, professional grade adhesives such as 3M Double Face Tape,
VELCRO.RTM. or Scotch 3M Dual Lock. Indeed, such materials can
partly or entirely substitute for the screws. As shown in FIG. 11E,
the front leg 42 includes a round portion of adhesive material 61.
This front adhesive portion 61 prevents the extended front of the
boot 52B from being kicked forward or rearward. Similar adhesive
portions may be used on the bottom surface of the rear leg 40, the
rear surface of the rear leg 40 and the rear surface of the support
structure 59. Use of professional grade adhesive may result in an
increase in the size of the second planar, vertical portion of the
boot, but along with the possibly smaller adhesive portions on the
bottom surfaces of the rear and front legs 40, 42 could provide a
screw-less secure mounting of the boot 52B to the dresser 8B to
thus resist dresser tipping.
As shown in FIG. 11F, an adhesive portion 63 is affixed to the rear
surface of the support structure 59. The rear of the dresser 8B may
be Masonite and the adhesive can extend so that the support
structure 59 can be the entire back. As such, the adhesive can be a
4'' or 5'' square and not just support what is the post, but rather
could be substantially the same surface area of the upper section
57B or even both the lower section 57A and the upper section 57B).
The size of the adhesive portion 63 does not matter as long as
sufficient adhesion is provided thereby. Although the adhesive
portion 63 may be provided with a size to roughly correspond to or
be smaller than the size of the upper section 57B of the second
planar portion 57, this is not required. One skilled in the art
would be able to determine the size of the adhesive, which depends
in part on the type of adhesive, to ensure suitable adhesion of the
boot 52B to the dresser 8B, or any other dresser or piece of
furniture.
Generally, when using adhesives instead of screws, it is often
beneficial to increase the size of the adhesive area. One skilled
in the art would readily ascertain how to configure the planar
portions of the boot 52B relative to the size of the adhesive
portions 61, 63 to provide for secure attachment of the dresser 8B
to the boots 52B, which also depends on, for example, the size and
shape of the dresser 8B.
The enlarged second planar portion 57 may be provided to any of the
other boots disclosed herein, along with the use of adhesives
instead of screws. Also, the features disclosed above with respect
to boot 52B, wherein there is a hinge 38 between the first and
second planar portions 34, 36 can be applied to the boot without
such a hinge, i.e. wherein the second planar portion is fixed at an
angle to first planar portion to enable it to attach to the rear
surface of the rear leg or other rear surface of the piece of
furniture.
FIGS. 12 and 13 show another embodiment of an anti-tipping
mechanism in accordance with the invention which includes a fixed
post 62 on the bottom drawer 64 of a dresser 8C. The fixed post 62
is rigid and is attached or integral with the bottom drawer 64 so
as to provide a potential additional support point for the dresser
8C, along with support legs 66. Thus, the bottom surface of the
fixed post 62 should be dimensioned to be close to the horizontal
surface on which the dresser 8C is situated. Fixed post 62 serves
to prevent forward tipping of the dresser 8C. The molding 68 on the
dresser 8C ideally includes a cut-out 70 for the fixed post 62 (see
FIG. 13).
As to this embodiment and other disclosed embodiments that have one
or more fixed posts to the bottom drawer 64, this provides
anti-tipping with the bottom drawer 64 when opened. Should a
toddler climb into the bottom drawer 64, there would be resistance
for the drawer 64 to fall forward. Each fixed post 62 is ideally at
least about 0.25 inches to about 0.5 inches shorter than the height
of the support legs 66 (which is more generally, the distance
between the location on the front panel from which the post 62
descends and the bottom surface of the support structure whether
the legs or other structure which is the bottom surface of the
frame of the dresser 8C). As such, when the bottom drawer 64 is
opened, the fixed posts 62 do not interfere with drawer
functionality. Since the distance to the floor is only about 0.25
inches or 0.5 inches, should a toddler climb into the drawer 64,
the dresser 8C will only slightly fall forward.
If the dresser 8C does not include legs 66, then it would include
equivalent support structure, such as right and left side panels.
Regardless of the type of support structure for the frame, i.e.,
either legs or side panels, the post 62 ideally has a height or
major distance which is shorter than a distance between the bottom
of the drawer and the bottom surface of the support structure of
the frame of the dresser 8C (assuming the post begins at the bottom
of the drawer).
Instead of a fixed post, a post could be pivotable between a
position under the bottom drawer to an extended position.
While a single central fixed post as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 will
likely prevent an accident, an anti-tipping mechanism including two
fixed posts 62 on the bottom drawer 64 of the dresser 8D will offer
more positive floor surface engagement and resist cocking the
dresser to pivot to one side, and is shown in the embodiment of in
FIGS. 14 and 15. Ideally, the two posts 62 are placed a distance
sufficiently apart from one another to provide stability as the
drawer 64 tips about 0.25 inches forward and positively stops
falling any further.
In many situations where the toddler is under 2 years old, it may
very well be that he/she may not be able to reach any higher than
the bottom drawer 64. If on the other hand, the toddler is 3, 4 or
5 years old, a superior choice may be to go with one of the boots
disclosed herein. An embodiment of a dresser is also envisioned
which includes both the boots as well as one or more fixed posts 62
for double anti-tipping insurance.
Referring now to FIGS. 16 and 17, in this embodiment, a dresser 316
is modified for use with a boot as disclosed herein, e.g., boot 12
but all of the boots and other similar structures disclosed herein
can be used with this dresser 316. The dresser 316 is provided with
an upper panel or board 318 that provides the uppermost, exposed
surface of the dresser 316. The board 318 is not parallel to the
horizontal surface on which the dresser 316 is situated when the
boot 12 is not present. Rather, the board 318 is angled such that
it slopes downward in a direction from the back to the front of the
dresser 316. That is, when the dresser 316 is installed such that
its lowermost surface, e.g., the lower surface of the legs 18, 20,
is in contact with the horizontal support surface, the top front of
the dresser 316 is lower than the top, rear of the dresser 316.
This angle may be as small as 0.5 degrees to a few degrees, e.g.,
about 5 degrees.
However, the angular configuration of the board 318 is such that
when the boot 12 is underneath the dresser 316 as shown, the board
318 is parallel to the horizontal surface on which the dresser 316
is situated. Thus, the dresser 316 presents a level surface when
the boot 12 is in place, a level surface being a surface parallel
to the horizontal surface that supports the dresser 316. The angled
pitched top of the dresser 316 is thus brought into a parallel
relationship with the horizontal surface that supports the dresser
316, its slant being compensated for by the presence of the boot
12. The angle of the boot 12 is therefore preferably the same angle
as the upper board 318.
Also, the drawers 320 will not open and close in directions
parallel to the horizontal surface that supports the dresser 316.
Rather, the drawers 320 will be slightly angled upward at their
front (with the same angular orientation as the boot 12 and upper
board 318), when the boot 12 is in place. This further provides
tipping resistance.
Referring to FIGS. 18-22, another embodiment of a multi-drawer
dresser 340 in accordance with the invention includes a drawer
retention mechanism 342 that provides secure retention of a
respective drawer 344 both when in a closed state (FIG. 18) and in
an access state partly out of a frame 346 of the dresser 340 (FIG.
19). In the latter state, the drawer 344 is prevented from moving
further forward and possibly causing tipping of the dresser 340
when grasped by a child or toddler. There is a drawer retention
mechanism 342 on each side of each drawer 344.
Each drawer retention mechanism 342 includes an elongate track 348
into which a spring-loaded plunger 350 projects and a cooperating
elongate rail 352 attached to a side wall 344A of the drawer 344
and that is movable through and in a longitudinal direction of the
track 348. The rail 352 includes a pair of concave wells 354, 356,
one at each end region of the rail 352, and into which the plunger
350 projects depending on the position of the rail 352 relative to
the plunger 350. Between the wells 354, 356, the rail 352 has a
straight, elongate portion 358. As shown, the wells 354, 356 open
downward while the plunger 350 is configured to spring upward when
not pressed downward (the reverse configuration is also a
possibility). The plunger 350 thus has a compressed state in which
it is maintained below the track 348 by the elongate portion 358 of
the rail 352, and a spring 360 therein is compressed, and an
extended state in which it projects into one of the wells 354, 356,
and the spring 360 therein is expanded. When in the extended state
projecting into the front or rear well 354, 356, the spring 360
generates a temporary stop to the movement of the drawer 344.
The rear well 356 is optional and indeed, a drawer retention
mechanism 342 may be provided without the rear well 356 and be
functional to achieve the object of drawer retention sought by the
mechanism. The optional rear well 356 engages with the plunger 350
to establish the maximum pulled-out safe position of the drawer
344, but other means to achieve this pull-out limit may be provided
in the invention, including those known to people skilled in the
art to which this invention pertains.
Each track 348 may be defined between an upper part 362 of the
frame 346 having a planar lower surface and a lower part 364 of the
frame 346 having a planar upper surface, which parts 362, 364 may
be integral with the frame 346 of the dresser 340 or separate
members that are attached thereto. These parts 362, 364 may be made
of any suitable material, e.g., wood or metal, and define the
generally horizontal track 348 since it is desired that the drawer
344 open horizontally. The plunger 350 is situated in a front
region of the lower part 364. Its position is coordinated to the
dimensions of the drawer 344 and dresser 340 in general so that the
drawer 344 is in its fully closed state when the plunger 350 enters
into the front well 354. The parts 362, 364 may even be formed from
a single member.
Each of the wells 354, 356 preferably has soft lead-in and lead-out
easements, especially at the rear of the front well 354 and the
front of the rear well 356 since the upper surface of the plunger
350 will move over these parts when moving into the elongate
portion 358 of the rail 352. In one embodiment, an additional
plunger is provided at the rear of the track 348 to aid in
retention of the drawer 344 and in this case, the easement at the
rear of the rear well 356 should also be soft.
Plunger 350 has a curved plunging portion 366 at its top and the
spring 360 enters into a cavity 368 in the portion 366 with the
other end of the spring 360 preferably being fixed at the bottom of
a well 370 in the lower part 364 (FIG. 22). The plunging portion
366 may be hemispherically shaped. In the compressed state, the
upper surface of the plunging portion 366 may be flush with the
upper surface of the lower part 364 defining the track 348 (FIG.
21). As such, the elongate portion 358 of the rail 352, which
preferably has a flat, planar lower surface, slides easily over the
plunging portion 366.
The depth of the front well 354 can be deeper than the depth of the
rear well 356 to allow the spring-loaded plunger 350 to form a more
forceful safety stop when the drawer 344 is closed. An advantage of
this is that in the event the dresser 340 is tipped forward by a
toddler, the drawer 344 would resist moving forward to cause injury
by hitting the toddler in the face or head. When the drawer 344 is
in a partly open state, the plunger 350 will slide along the
straight portion 358 of the rail 352 during continued forward
movement of the drawer 344 until a maximum safe open state of the
drawer 344 is reached in which the plunger 350 projects into the
rear well 356, and thereby the drawer 344 is prevented from moving
fully outward and apart from the dresser 340.
In use, when a person wants to open the drawer 344 of the dresser
340, the person must exert a force to overcome the spring force or
resistance that is urging the plunger 350 into the front well 354.
This force should be greater than the force that a toddler can
exert to thereby prevent the toddler from opening the drawer 344,
and possibly even a child 3-5 years old. Determination of the
magnitude of this force is possible based on the characteristics of
the spring force provided by the spring 360 and the easements at
the edges of the well 354. Once the plunger 350 is urged downward
into the well 370 of the lower part 364 defining the track 348, it
remains there by pressure provided by the elongate portion 358 of
the rail 352.
In this embodiment, the rail 352 includes the wells 354, 356 and
the plunger 350 is incorporated into the lower part 364 defining
the track 348. The reverse configuration is also possible, i.e.,
constructing the rail 352 to include the plunger 350 (which would
be at a rear of the rail) and two wells in the upper or lower part
362, 364 defining the track 348 (one at each of forward and rear
end regions). In such an embodiment, the plunger would move upon
movement of the drawer while the wells would remain stationary
(instead of the wells moving and the plunger staying stationary as
in the illustrated embodiment).
Furthermore, although in dresser 340, the side rail 352 is attached
to the side wall 344A of the drawer 344 and the plunger 350 is
mounted in the lower track 364 attached to or part of the frame 346
of the dresser 340, these components can be reversed. That is, it
is possible to attach the rail 352 to the frame 346 of the dresser
340 and the upper and lower parts 362, 364 and plunger 350
incorporated into the drawer 344.
Referring now to FIGS. 23-25, in this embodiment of a dresser 100,
there is a securing, anti-tipping mechanism 102 that functions to
prevent tipping of the dresser 100 by securing the dresser 100 to a
fixed structure behind the dresser 100, typically a vertical wall
104 but any other fixed structure may be used in the invention.
Features of the dresser 100 are similar to those of the dressers
144, 180, 204 in the '397 application referenced above and
incorporated by reference herein (FIGS. 23-34 thereof). Only
important differences will be mentioned. Dresser 100 and its
anti-tipping mechanism 102 constitute a furniture assembly.
In the furniture assembly including dresser 100, the anti-tipping
mechanism 102 includes a first connector assembly 106 attached to
the wall 104 and a second, mating connector assembly 108 attached
to the dresser 100. The first connector assembly 106 includes a
bracket 110 fixed to the wall 104 by, for example screws 112, and a
strap 114 extending from the bracket 110, and which is connected at
one end region to the bracket 110. An opposite end region of the
strap 114 is passed through a buckle 116 to provide the strap 114
with a free end 118. A strap retainer 128 is shown to connect the
end region of the strap 114 to a front surface of the bracket 110,
but this strap retainer 128 is not required and the end region of
the strap 114 can be connected directly to the bracket 110, e.g.,
by looping through slots of a planar portion of the bracket 110.
The distance of the buckle 116 from the bracket 110 is adjusted by
pulling the free end of the strap 114, this would shorten the
distance between the buckle 116 and the bracket 110 (and thus the
wall 104), and the buckle 116 can be pulled in a direction away
from the bracket 110 to lengthen the distance between the buckle
116 and the bracket 110 (the wall 104). The combination of the
strap 114 and buckle 116 is considered a connector. This connector
is thus considered length-adjustable.
The second connector assembly 108 includes a bracket 120 fixed to a
panel 122 of the dresser 100 by, for example screws, and a strap
124 extending from the bracket 120, and which is connected at one
end region to the bracket 120. An opposite end region of the strap
124 is terminated by a catch 126, e.g., a planar piece of material
that is configured to engage with the buckle 116 to provide a
secure connection between the catch 126 and the buckle 116. It is
possible to avoid use of the bracket 120 and attach the strap 124
directly to the panel 122 of the dresser 100, e.g., looping the
strap 124 through slots in the panel 122 of the dresser 100. The
combination of the strap 124 and the catch 126 is considered a
connector.
The buckle 116 and mating catch 126 are an example of any type of
mating, two-part connection structure that may be used in the
invention. Any other known connection structure which has one part
that removably engages with another part, and preferably can be
disengaged from that part, may be used in the invention. Also,
although both connector assemblies are shown including straps,
which are flexible, it is possible to attach one or both of the
buckle 116 and catch 126 directly to the bracket 110 or panel 122
of the dresser 100, respectively, via a rigid or length-invariable
connection. If one of the mating connection structure is fixed to
the bracket 110, and thus at a fixed distance from the bracket 110,
then the other mating connection structure is manipulated, since it
is flexible by virtue of the presence of the strap 124, to mate
with it. Similarly, if one of the mating connection structure is
fixed to the panel 122, and thus at a fixed distance from the panel
122, then the other mating connection structure is manipulated,
since it is flexible by virtue of the presence of the strap 114, to
mate with it. Although two fixed-distance (length-invariable)
mating connection structures may be provided, this is not preferred
since it is desired to have some flexibility and length
adjustability in the attachment technique for the dresser 100.
To enable access to the buckle 116 and catch 126 to mate them or
disengage them as desired, an upper panel 150 of the dresser 100 is
provided with an opening 152 into which an access door 154 fits.
Panel 150 is above panel 122 as shown. Access door 154 is pivotally
connected to the upper panel 150 by a hinge to enable opening and
closing of the access door 154 in order to access the space 156
underneath the upper panel 150 (see FIGS. 24 and 25). When the
access door 154 is in the closed state, it may be flush with the
remaining portion of the upper surface of the upper panel 150. The
access door 154 thus pivots between a position out of the opening
152 (FIG. 24) and a position in the opening (FIG. 25).
This space 156 is formed by appropriately dimensioning the depth of
an upper drawer 158 of the dresser 100, e.g., to be slightly less
than the depth of the lower drawers in the dresser 100 (see FIG.
23). This lesser drawer depth enables the anti-tipping mechanism
102 to avoid interfering with drawer operation. If multiple drawers
are provided at the top of the dresser 100, then only those drawers
that will be in front of the anti-tipping mechanism 102 may be made
with the lesser depth. Upper drawer 158 is that drawer that is
immediately below the upper panel 150, and has a depth such that
when present fully inside the dresser 100 and almost entirely below
the upper panel 150, the space 156 is behind and not obstructed by
the upper drawer 158.
A utility tray (not shown) may be provided to insert into the space
156 and obstructs viewing of the space 156 when the access door 154
is open. The utility tray optionally has a depth that is
dimensioned to avoid interfering with the upper drawer 158 and
rests on one or more flanges formed on surfaces defining the
opening 152.
Instead of a pivoting access door 154, it is also possible to
provide a sliding access door. The sliding access door would be
provided by mounting sliding tracks on the dresser 100 and the
access door 152. One skilled in the art would readily ascertain how
to install such sliding doors in view of the disclosure herein.
In an exemplifying use, installation of the dresser 100 into a
secure state with anti-tipping characteristics entails manipulating
the anti-tipping mechanism 102 by first placing the dresser 100
against the wall 104, opening the access door 154, removing the
utility tray if present and then grasping and pulling the buckle
116 through an aperture 130 in a substantially planar wall section
or vertical rear panel 132 of the dresser 100 (assuming the bracket
110 is already attached to the wall 104 via bracket 110). The catch
126 is then inserted into or otherwise engaged with the buckle 116
to provide the state shown in FIG. 24. The dresser 100 is then
positioned against the wall 104 with the bracket 110 either being
partly against the rear panel 132 (as shown) or entirely within the
aperture 130 in the rear panel 132. The free end of the strap 114
is then grasped and pulled to tighten the strap 114 by reducing the
slack in the strap 114 until the straps 114, 124 are both tight and
the dresser 100 is against the wall 104 to the extent possible (see
FIG. 25). The free end of the strap 114 hangs down as shown in FIG.
25. The access door 154 is then closed and the dresser 100 is in a
secure, anti-tipping state.
Moving the dresser 100 requires opening the access door 154 and
lifting the buckle 116 to enable disengagement of the catch 126
therefrom, or otherwise manually disengaging the buckle 116 from
the catch 126 or vice versa. The buckle 116 is passed through the
aperture 130 and the dresser 100 can be freely moved away from the
wall 104. The bracket 110 is removed from the wall 104.
Another way to view the invention is as a piece of furniture, not
necessarily as a dresser, which includes a frame 138 including the
substantially planar wall section 132 having front and rear
surfaces 134, 136 defining a thickness therebetween and which forms
at least part of a rear wall of the piece of furniture 100. The
frame 138 also includes the upper panel 150 that defines the
opening 152 and the access door 154 that controls access to the
opening 152 in the upper panel 150 to enable selective access to
the space 156 under the upper panel 150. The piece of furniture
also includes the bracket 110 attachable to a vertical support
(wall 104), a first connector (combined 114, 116) attached to the
bracket 110, with the aperture 130 in the wall section 132 being
dimensioned to enable passage of the first connector therethrough
into the space 156 under the upper panel 150. A second connector
(124, 126) is attached to the frame 138 in a position to be in the
space 156 below the upper panel 150 and that removably engages with
the first connector (catch 126 engages with buckle 116) when
present in the space 156 under the upper panel 150. The first
and/or second connector is length-adjustable relative to its
supporting structure, i.e., relative to the bracket 110 in the case
of the first connector 114, 116 or relative to the frame 138 in the
case of the second connector 124, 126 to enable a distance between
the frame 138 and the vertical support to be reduced. A reduction
in distance between the frame 138 and the bracket 110, when
connected to the vertical support 104, and engagement between the
first and second connectors (catch 126 in buckle 116) prevents
tipping of the piece of furniture.
In a preferred embodiment as shown, the first connector includes
elongate strap 114 connected at one end region to the bracket 110
and the buckle 116 through which the strap 114 passes. The buckle
116 is movable along the strap 114 to vary a distance between the
buckle 116 and the bracket 110 and thereby provide length
adjustability to the first connector. Pulling a free end of the
strap 114 relative to the buckle 116 causes a distance of the strap
114 between the buckle 116 and the bracket 110 to be reduced and by
pulling the buckle 116 relative to the bracket 110 in a direction
away from the bracket 110, a distance of the strap 114 between the
buckle 116 and the bracket 110 is increased. The ability to
increase the distance of the strap 114 between the buckle 116 and
the bracket 110 by pulling the buckle 116 relative to the bracket
110 in the direction away from the bracket 110 is not a required
feature of the invention, but is useful if repositioning or moving
of the dresser 100 is desired.
Also, the second connector includes the elongate strap 124
connected at one end region to the frame 138, namely to the bracket
120 which in turn is fixed to the panel 122 which is part of the
frame 138, and the catch 126 connected to a second end region of
the strap 124 opposite the first end region of the strap 124.
The dresser 100 may include one or more additional drawers 140
below the upper drawer 158 and that each could have a larger depth
than the depth of the upper drawer 158. Each additional drawer 140,
like the upper drawer 158, has a first position fully inserted into
the frame 138 (and possibly in the frame 138) and a second position
at least partly out of the frame 138 and is movable outward from a
front of the frame 138 into the second position while coupled to
the frame 138. Each drawer 158, 140 has a front face forming a
front face of the dresser 100.
It is possible, and considered as part of the invention, that the
dresser 100 does not include any drawers, but may be configured as
a different piece of furniture, e.g., with swinging doors opening
to shelves. In this case, a space would be formed at the upper rear
region of the piece of furniture to define the space 156 and the
remaining features of the dresser 100 would be provided, except for
an upper drawer 158.
While these embodiments are directed to the serious, often fatal,
accidents involving toddlers, they address all anti-tipping
furniture issues that may arise, involving both toddlers and
adults.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and
described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that
changes and modifications may be made without departing from the
invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the
appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as
fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *
References